Combination can-opener.



W. H. ARNOLD.

COMBlNAT ION CAN OPENER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2. 191a.

1,25%,41 3. Patented Dec. 18, 1917..

WILLIAM H. ARNOLD, F OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

COMBINATION CAN-OPENER. j V

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 18, 1917.

Application filed .1 une 2, 1916. Serial No. 101,834.

, To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. ARNoLn, a citizen of the United States, residin at Oakland, in the county of Alameda, tate of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combination Can-Openers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this application.

This invention relates to improvements in household appliances and particularly to a device used for the purpose of opening cans of all kinds, the object of the present invention being to produce a can opener which can be used both for opening that form of scaled cans which must be cut open and also those kinds which have a projecting lip which the can opener engages and rolls a portion of the can to rip it open. My improved invention is intended to apply to all sizes of cans and to be capable of use and re-nse on both the types of cans indicated above, this present application being intended to cover certain improvements over that structure shown in my Patent Number 1,095,369, dated May 5th, 1914. I

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and l yet one which will be exceedingly eifective for the purposes for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of the parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specificatmn and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the opener showing a guard covering one end of the same.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the guard covering the opposite end.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view showing the guard disposed at right angles thereto.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in perspective of the opening jaws used on the type of can having projecting lips for rolling the cover of the can to rip it open.

Fig. 5 is a detached view of the adjustable cutter.

Fig. 6 is asectional view taken on a line Y--Y i Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on a line X-X of Fig. 2. 1

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, I first provide a substantially flat body mem her 1. At one end of this body member 1 are formed a pair of jaws 2 which are substantially semi-circular in cross section and are disposed in opposed relation with respect to each other. These jaws 2 are spaced apart to form an intermediate slot 2 The jaws 2 taper toward their outer ends.

These jaws 2 are for use in opening cans which have the projecting lip and are adapted .to be rolled around the opener to allow the cover to be ripped open. The lip is received into the slot 2 and the jaws are then turned so that the lip and the cover will roll around such jaws. The jaws being semi-circular in cross section allow the lip and cover to roll into and look into the same so as to'form a firm grip. After the cover has been ripped open the tapered structure of the jaws allows the opener to be readily removed from the tin.

The opposite end of the member 1 has its edges turned downwardly, as at 3 and 4, to form a substantial channel in the underside thereof. The top of this channel is cut out into a slot, as at 5, movable in which slot is an adjustable cutter 6. This cutter 6 is formed as a component part of a plate 7 slidable within the channel and having a rib 8 extending through the slot 5 and terminating in a finger plate 9 on the upper side of the member 1. This end of the member 1 terminates in a pointed spear 10. The side 8, as at 3*, extends farther along the member 1 than does the side 4, and the side 4 terminates in a sloping end 4?, all for a purpose as will presently appear. The member 1 is provided with a substantially central slot 11 slidable in which is a pin 12 turnable on which pin 12 is the inclosing guard 13, such guard flaring outwardly from the pin 12 to form a substantially curved handle member for the device which may be extended from one end to the other in order to guard the ends and be used as a handle member for operating the appliance as will be apparent.

The guard 13 has an inturned lug 15 which snaps between the members 2 when the guard is turned to that end of the appliance which holds the said guard rigid with respect to the appliance. This would be the position shown in Fig. 1. l/Vhen in this position the spear 10 may be inserted in the center of the can and the finger member 9 can then be pressed to slide the cutter 6 to any desired position in orderto conform to the relative size of the can and thereupon the cutter may be used to cut out a section of the can in the usual manner.

One end of the slot 11 terminates at a point slightly past the end 3* of the side 3 and the opposite end curves slightly, as at 11* toward the said side 3. When the guard 18 is to be used over the spear 10, itiS turned completely around from the position shown in Fig. 1, and the pin 12 is drawn through the slot 11 and forced upwardly into the curved end 11 This action brings one side of the end of the guard,

13 into clamping engagement with the end 3 and the spear 10 is then snapped past the lug l and this holds the guard 13 rigid to be used as a handle with no chance of the same slipping off of the spear which might result in giving the hand of the operator a severe cut. This is the position shown in Fig. 2.

When in this position the appliance would then be used for opening cans which have projecting lips arranged for engagement be tween the jaws 2 whereby the portion of the can may be rolled around the jaws 2 to open the can. WVhen the can is opened, the tapered position of the jaws 2, aided by their spaced relation and their semi-circular shape, allows theappliance to be readily withdrawn from the roll of tin which has been made with the opening of the can. Then when the guard 13 is to be again moved around to cover the jaws 2, it is necessary to first disconnect the lug 15 from the spear l0, slip the pin 12 out of the curved end 11 and project it horizontally five cents each, by fi e m it down through the slot -'1"1j'."'T is"fbrings its pivotal point to that positionwhich' relieves it of any binding efiect against the side 3 whereupon it can be turned to right angles as shown in Fig. 3 and then complete moveinent again made to close the jaws 2 as shown in Fig. l. The sloping side et allows of the free movement of the guard l3.

The ends of the jaws 2 are curved to form a guiding recess 9f, which guides the projection on the can into the space between said jaws. i

Thelug l5 combinedwith a pair of teats out in either or each side of the guard 13 can be used for removing bottle caps.-

From the foregoing description it will readily be seenthat I'have produced such a device as substantially fulfils the objects of the invention asset forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction or the device, stillin practice such devia tions from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the; spirit of the invention, as. defined the appended such shankbeing provided with a slot termi nating at oneendat a point beyond the end of the upturned" side and turning at, other end toward said side; a guard handle provided with a pinino'vable in snal sl t and arranged to be moved into the curved end thereof to bring the edge of the handle into la ing n e en with the ti turned side.

Intestimony whereof I affix my signature.

WI IAM ARNOLD.

aeerts es f r qeee s ee i itters. 

